Women founders or co-founders with UK registered businesses at the late stage start-up phase can apply for a grant of up to £75,000 and bespoke business support, to further their ambitious growth plans.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is offering up to 60 Women in Innovation Awards to women founders and co-founders of micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK. This is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received.
Successful projects will receive up to £75,000 of grant funding and bespoke business support for 12 months.
A proportion of highly commended applicants who have not been awarded grant funding in this competition will be offered bespoke business support for 12 months.
The aims of this competition are to support Women in Innovation Award winners:
As a late stage start-up we would expect you to:
In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding limit, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects. It may be the case that your project scores highly but we are still unable to fund it.
In the Women in Innovation Awards 2024/25, 3.4% of applicants were successful. Following feedback from the community we have ensured the scope for this competition is more defined and we have included a suitability checker as an initial step in the application process. This is to ensure women founders and co-founders at the right business stage, in specific growth sectors, are applying. You must complete the suitability checker before starting an application.
We consider a range of factors when determining whether to provide funding to applicants. This includes an assessment of prior conduct, such as any outstanding payments owed to Innovate UK or UKRI. Such factors may influence the funding decision, potentially resulting in a refusal of funding or an award subject to additional scrutiny.
We also reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions. This may be in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations or broader government funding decisions.
This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.
Grant
Your project’s grant funding request must not exceed £75,000.
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.
You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.
We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.
You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Innovate UK Customer Support Service and Reasonable Adjustments Service are unavailable during the holiday period. To accommodate this, applicants have 10 weeks to apply instead of the usual 8 weeks.
Your project
Your project must:
All projects must commence and finish on the dates stated. Any funded business needs to carry out their project work in the UK and must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.
Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.
You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs. For specific guidance, see the eligibility section in this competition.
You will be made ineligible if you exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance limit. You must submit a complete declaration as part of your application.
Lead participant
To lead a project you must:
You are not eligible to apply for Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26 if you or anyone else from your business have previously received Innovate UK funding from:
More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.
Subcontractors
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition. Subcontracting costs must not exceed 50% of the grant funding amount.
Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use subcontractors from the UK.
You must also provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you.
We expect all subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs. We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.
Number of applications
You can only make one application for yourself. Only one woman working within an organisation can apply.
Sanctions
This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.
Use of animals in research and innovation
Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.
Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both that in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.
Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.
You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.
If you have previously submitted an application that reached our assessment stage, you can re-apply once more with the same proposal.
If there are minor differences to the proposal, but it is judged by us to be ‘not materially different’, the same rule applies.
We will not award you funding if you have:
Innovate UK may withhold a grant payment at any time if you have any outstanding sums due to Innovate UK in relation to other projects.
Grant funding in this competition is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA). This allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a three year rolling financial period.
In your application, you will be asked to declare previous funding received by you. This will form part of the financial checks ahead of Innovate UK making a formal grant offer.
To establish your eligibility, we need to check that our support added to the amount you have previously received does not exceed the limit of £315,000 in the ‘applicable period’.
The applicable period is made up of:
(a) the elapsed part of the current financial year, and
(b) the two financial years immediately preceding the current financial year
You must include any funding which you have received during the applicable period under:
You do not need to include aid or subsidies which have been granted on a different basis, for example, an aid award granted under the General Block Exemption Regulation.
Further information about the Subsidy Control Act 2022 requirements can be found in the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).
EU Commission rules now only apply in limited circumstances. See the Windsor Framework to check if these rules apply to your organisation.
In the ‘Project details’ section of your application you will be asked questions to indicate if State Aid or Subsidy applies to your organisation.
Further information
If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022, you should take independent legal advice. We cannot advise on individual eligibility or your legal obligations.
A maximum of £4.5 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
We reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.
Your total project costs will be eligible for up to 100% funding subject to MFA subsidy rules. Your total grant funding request must not exceed £75,000.
If successful, the grant funding will be paid in three instalments:
If you are applying for an award funded under European Commission Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.
Innovate UK may revoke our decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn.
The aims of this competition are to support Women in Innovation Award winners:
As a late stage start-up we would expect you to:
Your business must be developing a new or significantly improved product, service, or business model that addresses a specific market need. Your solution must be one of the following:
As an award holder you will receive bespoke business support to enable you to significantly grow your business.
Award holders will be required to commit to a minimum of four hours of role modelling activity to inspire future generations of women innovators over the 12 month duration of the award. See more details about being a role model in supporting information.
We want to support a diverse cohort of women innovators from a wide range of different backgrounds, from across the UK.
Portfolio approach
We want to fund a variety of projects across Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Technologies and Life Sciences, and different regions. We call this a portfolio approach.
The Women in Innovation Awards focus on innovations that support three of the UK’s eight high growth sectors:
For information about each of these high growth sectors we strongly encourage you to look through the sector plan for your respective growth sector.
Your innovation needs to align with one of the following growth sectors and associated priority areas:
We are not funding projects:
We cannot fund projects that:
26 November 2025
Pre-recorded briefing event: watch the recording
26 November 2025
Pre-recorded Question Set Support session: watch the recording
26 November 2025
Pre-recorded Business Stage Support Session: watch the recording
26 November 2025
Competition opens
8 January 2026
Live Questions and Answers: register to attend
4 February 2026 11:00am
Competition closes
1 May 2026
Applicants notified
1 July 2026
Project start
You must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.
Before submitting, it is your responsibility to make sure:
You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.
What we ask you
The application is split into four sections:
Accessibility and Inclusion
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.
You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.
We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.
You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Innovate UK Customer Support Service and Reasonable Adjustments Service are unavailable during the holiday period. To accommodate this, applicants have 10 weeks to apply instead of the usual 8 weeks.
This section provides background for your application and is not scored.
Do not include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers.
Application details
Give your project’s title, start date and duration.
Project summary
Describe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it innovative. We use this section to assign experts to assess your application.
Your answer can be up to 400 words long.
Public description
Describe your project in detail, and in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your project funding, we will publish this description. This can happen before you start your project.
Your answer can be up to 400 words long.
Scope
Describe how your project fits the scope of the competition. If your project is not in scope, it will not be eligible for funding.
Your answer can be up to 400 words long.
The assessors will score all your answers apart from questions 1 to 11, and questions 13, 15 and 18. You will receive feedback on your application. Find out more about how our assessors assess.
The Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26 is piloting questions from Innovate UK's new standardised question bank. For more information, watch the pre-recording of the question set applicant support session. We may ask you for feedback following your application.
You must answer all questions.
You must not include any website addresses or links (URLs) in your answers. If you do, your application will be made ineligible.
Question 1. Applicant location (not scored)
You must state the name and full registered address of your organisation and any subcontractors working on your project, and the work location for your project if different to the registered addresses.
We are collecting this information to understand more about the geographical location of all applicants.
Your answer can be up to 150 words long.
Question 2. Minimal Financial Assistance declaration (not scored)
You must download the declaration template. You must complete this, declaring any funding received under Minimal Financial Assistance (previously referred to as Special Drawing Rights) or de minimis awards (from any source of public funding) in the applicable period.
You must complete all the fields on your form before uploading.
You must write ‘declaration attached’ in the question text box.
You must upload the completed declaration as an appendix. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It must be legible at 100% zoom.
You must keep all documentation relating to Minimal Financial Assistance (previously referred to as Special Drawing Rights) and other de minimis awards for a period of six years. You must be prepared to release it to any public funding body which requests it.
Your answer can be up to 50 words long.
Question 3. Animal testing (not scored)
Will your project involve any trials with animals or animal testing?
You must select one option:
We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare.
Further information for proposals involving animal testing is available at the UKRI Good Research Hub and NC3R’s animal welfare guidance.
Question 4. Permits and licences (not scored)
Will you have the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project?
We are unable to fund projects which do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date.
You must select one option:
Question 5. International collaboration (not scored)
Does your proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement?
You must provide details of any expected international collaboration or engagement.
You must include a list of the names and the countries any subcontractors, service providers, visiting researchers or other collaborators are based in.
If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, your answer must confirm this.
Your answer can be up to 400 words long.
Question 6. Export licence (not scored)
You must indicate whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance.
You must select one option:
Question 7. Trusted Research and Innovation (not scored)
You must explain if your proposed project work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) Principles, including:
If your proposed work does not relate to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, your answer must confirm this.
We may ask you to provide additional TR&I information at a later date, in line with UKRI TR&I Principles and funding terms and conditions.
Your answer can be up to 400 words long.
Question 8. Suitability checker (not scored)
Have you completed the suitability checker?
You must select one option:
If No, ensure you have completed it before starting an application.
Question 9. Industrial strategy priority sector (not scored)
Which Industrial Strategy priority sector is the idea being applied to?
You must select one option:
Question 10. Business founder or co-founder (not scored)
Are you a woman founder or co-founder of your business?
You must select one option:
If you select No to this question you will be made ineligible.
Question 11. Role model commitment (not scored)
Can you commit to a minimum of four hours of role modelling activity over the duration of the award?
If you select No to this question you will be made ineligible.
Question 12. The problem
What is the problem that your idea looks to address?
Discuss the potential scale of the problem. How widespread is the issue? What are the consequences if it remains unaddressed? Highlight any research or evidence that supports your response.
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 13. The benefit (not scored)
Who benefits most from addressing this problem?
You must select one option:
Question 14. Benefit detail
Outline the benefits for who you have selected in question 13, The benefit . In your explanation, include specific metrics or indicators that you intend to use to measure these benefits.
Do not consider market sizing or customer characteristics. These will be covered in more detail in later sections of the application.
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 15. Nature of the idea (not scored)
Which of the following, if any, best represents the nature of the idea?
You must select one:
Question 16. The idea
Provide a detailed description of your idea. This must refer to the problem you identified in question 12, The problem, and how this idea intends to address it.
Do not consider market sizing, project management or risks. These will be covered in more detail in later sections of the application.
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 17. Design
How will you ensure that your idea is designed with care and attention to its use, and is developed inclusively? Discuss user needs, experience, what they value and what testing you will carry out.
You could also consider any unintended negative impacts and how they can be avoided.
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 18. Customers (not scored)
Which of the following is your main customer?
Question 19. Customer detail
What are the key characteristics or needs of your main customer?
Do not consider market sizing, this will be covered in more detail in a later section of the application.
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 20. Market size
Estimate the realistic market opportunity for your idea.
Provide an evidence based assessment through:
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 21. Milestones
What are the key milestones that will you be aiming to achieve through this award?
You must focus on what the support (financial and non-financial) from this award will enable you to do.
You must ensure these milestones fit within your anticipated timeline for project delivery.
You do not need to provide a detailed project plan at this stage.
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 22. Delivery
What steps will you be taking to ensure successful delivery? Discuss your overall approach to deliver what you set out to achieve through the financial and non-financial support, to time and cost.
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 23. Risks
Recognising and acknowledging potential risks is a vital part of the planning process and will not negatively impact your application.
Consider these risk types and outline the three main risks which are applicable to your idea. Include the reasons why you have chosen them and how you will mitigate impact:
Your answer can be up to 300 words.
Question 24. Video pitch
Why have you chosen to apply for this award and what is your vision for the future of your business?
When you enter Pitchtape to record your video, you will be asked to respond to these three question prompts:
Ensure you address the question prompts in your video.
To be eligible, you must submit a Pitchtape video in response to this question.
Video requirements:
Maximum length: 3 minutes, if your video is longer than this only the first 3 minutes will be assessed.
Create and submit using Pitchtape via this application.
Check the link works before submitting.
Important:
For information about how to record and submit a video using Pitchtape visit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvEauVJoKv0.
We will not be assessing the production quality of your video. Pitchtape will automatically create a link in response to the video question, if your link doesn’t work or is hosted on a platform other than Pitchtape, your application will be made ineligible. Should you experience any technical issues while creating your video, email [email protected] at least 15 working days before the deadline. Your video will be stored securely and viewed only by Innovate UK staff and assessors. If confidentiality limits what you can share, you must note this in your written response.
You must complete your project costs, organisation details and funding details in the application.
Grant funding request must not exceed the maximum of £75,000. If your grant funding request does exceed this maximum, then your application will be made ineligible.
You can make reference to any additional voluntary contribution in your application question answers but these must not be detailed in this finance section.
For an overview on what costs you can claim, see our project costs guidance. Note this is general guidance, for specific guidance see the eligibility section in this competition. You can also view our application finances video.
This section is not scored but will provide background to your project.
You must complete the Project Impact questions before being able to submit your application.
More information can be found in our Project Impact guidance and by viewing our Impact Management Framework video.
Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.
Your application will be reviewed by three independent assessors based on the content of your application and their skills or expertise relevant to your project. All of the scores awarded will contribute to the final funding decision.
You can find out more about our assessment process in the General Guidance.
Your submitted application will be assessed against these criteria:
Women In Innovation Awards 2025-26 Assessor Guidance.pdf (opens in a new window)
Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation programme launched in 2016 to address the underrepresentation of women in business and boost the number of women leading and scaling innovative companies. Since then, the programme has invested over £11 million in more than 200 women innovators, built a thriving community of over 11,000 women business leaders, and driven a major shift in participation: the proportion of successful women-led applications across all Innovate UK competitions has risen from 1 in 7 to 1 in 3.
Over the last year, Innovate UK has engaged closely with the community to listen, learn and work together to identify opportunities to accelerate growth and scale for women-led businesses. In response, Innovate UK published 10 commitments for Women in Innovation in April 2025 and shared a progress report in October 2025.
Innovate UK is committed to building a stronger, more inclusive innovation system. The Women in Innovation programme plays a vital role in addressing underrepresentation and maximising inclusion. Since its launch, this programme has been inclusive of trans women and this scope remains.
We want to recognise the contribution that women innovators make to the UK in terms of economic growth and social impact and realise the untapped potential that exists for the future.
A Women in Innovation award is more than a financial grant; it provides bespoke business support to accelerate business growth. The bespoke business support includes:
For more information about the Women In Innovation programme visit:
Pre-recorded briefing event: watch the recording
The briefing slides are available to download:
Women in Innovation Competition 25-26 Briefing Slides.pdf (opens in a new window)
If you have passed your initial assessment and have received an email with a grant offer, you will be asked to complete the project setup process on the Innovation Funding Service (IFS). Watch our video on what steps are there before a project starts.
We will ask for information that will allow us to undertake mandatory checks on your organisation and the eligibility of your costs, as well as review the documentation for your project.
You must follow the unique link embedded in your email notification. This takes you to your project's dedicated IFS Set Up portal, where we gather the information required to set up your project, for example, your bank details. Watch our video on how successful applicants receive their funding.
If you are unsuccessful with your application this time, you can view feedback from the assessors. This will be available to you on your IFS portal following notification.
Sometimes your application will have scored well, and you will receive positive comments from the assessors. You may be unsuccessful as your average score was not above the funding threshold or your project has not been selected under the portfolio approach if this is applied for this competition.
We would like to remind you that eligible non-funded business can still benefit from fully funded and bespoke support from the Innovate UK Business Growth service.
Innovate UK Business Growth helps innovation focused businesses make the best strategic choices and access the right resources, in order to grow and ultimately achieve scale.
Our innovation and growth specialists provide our fully funded and bespoke support to clients nationwide. Visit the service’s website to discover whether you could benefit from this advisory support, which is available to Innovate UK funded and non-funded businesses alike.
A Secure Innovation campaign has been developed to help founders and leaders of innovative startups protect their technology, competitive advantage, and reputation.
This was developed by UK’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
This competition is operated by Innovate UK.
Innovate UK is directly accountable to you for its holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. Data is held in accordance with our own policies.
Innovate UK may also share any relevant information submitted and produced during the application process concerning your application with Innovate UK’s national and regional UK third parties and partners who may contact you. For more information see how we handle grant applicant and grant holder data.
Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect will be data controllers for personal data submitted during the application.
Innovate UK Business Connect Privacy Policy
Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.
The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.
If you need more information about how to apply or you want to submit your application in Welsh, email [email protected] or call 0300 321 4357.
Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Innovate UK Customer Support Service and Reasonable Adjustments Service are unavailable during the holiday period. To accommodate this, applicants have 10 weeks to apply instead of the usual 8 weeks.
Innovate UK or any of our partners will not tolerate abusive language in any written or verbal correspondence, applications, social media or any other form that might affect staff.